Marrakech, July 19, 2025 – The Europe Today: Morocco’s women’s national team delivered a commanding 3–1 victory over Mali on Friday in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), thrilling the home crowd at Rabat’s Olympic Stadium and advancing to the tournament’s semifinal stage.
Led by an inspired performance from forward Ibtissam Jraidi, who netted a brace, the Atlas Lionesses maintained firm control of the match. Jraidi opened the scoring in the 7th minute, giving Morocco an early lead that they carried confidently into halftime. She doubled the advantage in the 79th minute with a calm penalty conversion after sustained pressure from the Moroccan side.
Substitute Kenza Chapelle sealed the win with a clinical finish in the 89th minute, moments after coming on for Jraidi. Though Mali pulled one back through Aissata Traoré’s 97th-minute penalty, it was little more than a consolation after a dominant Moroccan display.
Morocco’s head coach Jorge Vilda praised his players’ commitment and discipline, noting that the team’s preparation over the past two months had built a strong foundation for their success. “Every morning, my players make me feel ready to fight,” Vilda had remarked ahead of the match.
Strategic substitutions played a key role in Morocco’s victory. Midfielders Élodie Nakkach and Sanaâ Mssoudy entered after halftime to add fresh energy, while Imane Saoud and Kenza Chapelle later bolstered the team’s momentum and attacking threat. The substitutions demonstrated Vilda’s tactical awareness and squad depth.
Despite Mali’s efforts to recover from a 4–0 loss to South Africa in their previous outing, Coach Mohamed Houssein Saloum’s side struggled to match Morocco’s pace and organization. While striker Aissata Traoré had pledged an all-out effort before the game, her late goal was too little, too late to shift the match’s outcome.
Morocco now advances to the semifinals and will face the winner of the Algeria-Ghana quarterfinal. With the backing of passionate home support and a squad showing both cohesion and creativity, the host nation continues its determined pursuit of a maiden WAFCON title, two years after falling short in the 2022 final against South Africa.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Nigeria demonstrated their dominance with a resounding 5–0 win over Zambia, booking their place in the final four. Defending champions South Africa are set to face Senegal in a high-stakes quarterfinal clash, as the race for continental glory intensifies.
